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‘Bising’ becomes a super typhoon; Bicol and Samar under Signal # 2

The year’s second tropical cyclone has worsened to a super typhoon, threatening the eastern parts of Luzon and the Visayas with “intense rains” and “severe winds.”

In its latest weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Typhoon “Bising” (international name: Surigae) slightly decelerated as of 5 o’clock AM Sunday morning, April 18, while maintaining its destructive strength.

It registered maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (km/) near the center and gustiness of up to 265 km/h.

The center of the eye of typhoon was located at 400 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar or 470 km East of Juban, Sorsogon as of 4 o’clock this morning.

Typhoon Signal 2 has been raised over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Catanduanes provinces as well as other parts of the Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions.

While not foreseen to directly hit land, PAGASA said flooding and flash floods, including rain-induced landslides are likely to occur in the said areas.

Northern Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel keep track of Typhoon ‘Bising’. (Supplied photo)

Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Ongchian has ordered a province-wide forced evacuation of all coastal communities, following a pre-disaster risk assessment meeting Saturday afternoon, a provincial disaster risk reduction and management office announced on Facebook.

PAGASA said it is not ruling out a closer approach of Typhoon Bising to Luzon mainland as its travels north-westward at 15 kilometer per hour.

Supertyphoon Bising is forecast to stay within the Philippine area of responsibility for the entire week. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

“Rolly” is now a super typhoon with gusts of 310kph

[UPDATED: 8:30 am]

The Philippine weather bureau has categorized tropical cyclone Rolly (international name: Goni) as a super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 310 km/h.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration-Department of Science and Technology (PAGASA-DOST) said in its 5 am advisory that Rolly made landfall over Bato, Catanduanes at 4:50 this morning.

Rolly made its second landfall at Tiwi, Albay at 7:20 this morning, PAGASA added in its 8 am advisory.

The super typhoon is expected to bring catastrophic violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norter, Albay, northern parts of Sorsogon and the central and southern parts of Quezon.

“This a particularly dangerous situation for these areas,” the bureau said.

PAGASA said  that Rolly’s center will be heading towards CALABARZON and is forecast to exit the mainland Luzon landmass and emerge over the Philippine Sea tomorrow early morning.

The typhoon will bring heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Metro Manila, Marinduque, Romblon, Mindoro Provinces, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and the eastern portions of mainland Cagayan and Isabela, the agency announced.

It added that very destructive to devastating typhoon-force winds will be experienced in areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) #4 and #5, destructive typhoon-force winds in areas under TCWS #3, damaging gale- to storm-force winds in areas under TCWS #2, and strong breeze to near gale conditions in areas under TCWS #1.

In the next 24 hours, there is a high risk of storm surge of more than 3.0 m over the coastal areas of Catanduanes and Camarines Norte and the northern coastal areas of Quezon including Polillo Islands and Camarines Sur.

Coastal areas of Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, the southeastern coastal area of Batangas (facing Tayabas Bay), and most of the southern coastal areas of Quezon may also experience sorm surges of up to three meters.

Coastal areas of Marinduque, Lubang Island, Albay, Masbate (including Ticao and Burias Islands), Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar and the remaining coastal areas of Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Batangas will likewise experience storm surges of up to two meters, PAGASA said.

The lakes of Laguna de Bay and Taal may also experience life-threatening coastal inundations, it added.

Supertyphoon Rolly is moving west-southwestward at 25 km/h and is expected to exit between Cavite and the Bataan Peninsula towards the West Philippine Sea by Monday. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)